Crucial decision on Santa Rosa bed tax coming Thursday

By DUSTY RICKETTS / Daily News

Published: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at 05:27 PM.

MILTON — A decision whether to increase the bed tax in Santa Rosa County could be made as soon as Thursday.

County commissioners on Monday reopened their discussion on raising the tax on vacation rentals from 4 cents to 5 cents on the dollar. The additional revenue, estimated at $250,000 a year, would be used to help fund future beach restoration projects.

Commissioners were expected to vote on the tax hike last month but tabled discussion to gather more information.

“I’m not apposed to using the bed tax to go toward beach renourishment,” Commissioner Lane Lynchard said Monday. “I think we have to find a dedicated source of revenue for beach renourishment going forward.

“The way it’s been done in the past is not a reality anymore,” Lynchard added. “The state doesn’t contribute towards beach renourishment, and the state has 397 miles of critically eroded beach and no plan to address those areas.”

Lynchard wants to make sure that adding a penny to the tax for beach renourishment would not affect the county’s ability to collect other funds, such as from a municipal services benefit unit or from BP’s Natural Environmental Resource Damage Assessment.

By law, at least four commissioners’ must vote to approve the bed tax increase. If approved, it would take effect in two months.

Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.

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MILTON — A decision whether to increase the bed tax in Santa Rosa County could be made as soon as Thursday.

County commissioners on Monday reopened their discussion on raising the tax on vacation rentals from 4 cents to 5 cents on the dollar. The additional revenue, estimated at $250,000 a year, would be used to help fund future beach restoration projects.

Commissioners were expected to vote on the tax hike last month but tabled discussion to gather more information.

“I’m not apposed to using the bed tax to go toward beach renourishment,” Commissioner Lane Lynchard said Monday. “I think we have to find a dedicated source of revenue for beach renourishment going forward.

“The way it’s been done in the past is not a reality anymore,” Lynchard added. “The state doesn’t contribute towards beach renourishment, and the state has 397 miles of critically eroded beach and no plan to address those areas.”

Lynchard wants to make sure that adding a penny to the tax for beach renourishment would not affect the county’s ability to collect other funds, such as from a municipal services benefit unit or from BP’s Natural Environmental Resource Damage Assessment.

By law, at least four commissioners’ must vote to approve the bed tax increase. If approved, it would take effect in two months.

Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.